_Rineldo and his Cousin--He seeks to win her Love--Fostina makes known
to him her Love for Lewis Mortimer--Rineldo tries to gain her Favor,
and is encouraged by his Parents._
A few days after the circumstances occurred which have been related in
the preceding chapter, Fostina and her cousin again met in the parlor.
He anxiously inquired of her if she had received any intelligence of
her absent friends; she informed him that she had not, but was daily
expecting a message from them. She sighed deeply, at this allusion to
her beloved friends, who were now far distant from her. She leaned her
head upon her hands and wept bitterly; her cousin endeavored to cheer
her with words of love and tenderness, and gently passing his arm
around her waist, imprinted a kiss upon her fair cheek. Fostina
thinking this a bold intrusion upon the sacred cause of her grief,
rose and left the apartment.
The day was fast drawing to a close, and the lovely maiden again
wandered forth to visit the sacred spot where slept her beloved
friends. After remaining there some time, she returned and seated
herself beneath a lofty elm, which stood near the cottage, and turning
her eyes in the direction of the Mountain, she beheld Rineldo
approaching, who, on seeing his cousin, immediately came forward and
seated himself near her, in the mean time, expressing great surprise
that she had again ventured out at that late hour alone.
Fostina made but little reply, and rose from her seat to depart;
Rineldo soon followed, not a little displeased with her seeming
indifference towards him, and the wish that she plainly manifested to
avoid his company.
Fostina had ever treated her cousin with respect, and regarded him as a
friend for the great kindness which he had ever manifested towards her
since she had resided in her uncle's family. She now saw that, by
receiving his attentions, she was placing herself in a dangerous
situation.
Rineldo sought every opportunity to converse with his cousin; he
declared his love and offered his hand, making every effort to win her
affections. Fostina in a resolute and determined manner made known to
him her love for Lewis Mortimer, which was forever unchangeable.
Rineldo, on hearing this declaration from the lips of his cousin,
passed the remainder of the day in silence, and made no farther
allusion to the subject.
Towards evening Fostina retired to her apartment, and seated herself at
an open window which overlooked the gardens belonging to the cottage.
The evening zephyrs moved gently the branches of a willow, which shaded
the window where she was seated. The lonely maiden sat musing awhile,
and then, with a low, musical voice, she sang the following lines:--
"Mournfully, O, mournfully,
This midnight wind doth sigh!
Like some sweet, plaintive melody
Of ages long gone by;
It speaks a tale of other years,
Of hopes that bloomed to die--
Of sunny smiles that set in tears,
And loves that mould'ring lie.
"Mournfully, O, mournfully,
This midnight wind doth moan!
It stirs some chord of memory,
In each dull, heavy tone;
The voices of the much-loved dead
Seem floating thereupon;
All, all my fond heart cherished,
Ere death had made it lone.
"Mournfully, O, mournfully,
This midnight wind doth swell!
With its quaint, pensive minstrelsy,
Hope's passionate farewell:
To the dreamy joys of early years,
Ere yet grief's canker fell
On the heart's bloom--ay, well may tears,
Start at that parting knell!"
On the following morning, Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey proposed riding to the
village, and expressed a wish to have Fostina and Rineldo accompany
them. It was with great reluctance that she gave her consent, thinking
that it would be placing herself in the society of her cousin, whose
company she wished to avoid.
At an early hour the carriage was brought to the door, and Mr. Aubrey
and his wife seating themselves, their son hastily stepping forward,
and taking the hand of Fostina, pressed it gently to his lips, while
with the other he raised the trembling girl to the carriage, and taking
a seat by her side, drove rapidly away.
They soon arrived at the village, where they stopped at the residence
formerly owned by Mr. Aubrey; but since his removal to the Mountain, it
had been occupied by a distant relative.
When they arrived at the residence of their friend, they were kindly
welcomed by the family, who appeared much delighted on seeing Fostina.
The day passed on very pleasantly, without any important occurrence,
and after bidding adieu to their friends they again returned home.
That evening Fostina retired at an early hour, feeling as if her
troubles were increased, and that instead of finding friends, she saw
herself placed among those, who she had every reason to believe would
seek to destroy her happiness. The unceasing attention of her cousin,
and the encouragement which he received from his parents to forward his
advances, after she had made known to them her engagement with Lewis
Mortimer, deeply wounded the feelings of the gentle and loving Fostina,
who now felt as if she was alone, as it were, without a friend to cheer
her in her forlorn situation. She felt that she could no longer repose
confidence in those whom she had once considered friends, and to whose
care she had been entrusted by her absent brothers.
As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey observed the cool indifference
manifested by Fostina towards their son, their former kindness seemed
changed to hatred and revenge. All feeling of love and sympathy, which
had been so strongly manifested, seemed forever fled from their hearts.
Mr. Aubrey appeared to have lost all memory of his departed sister, the
mother of Fostina, and would shrink as if from her presence, whenever
her name was recalled by her lovely daughter.
Rineldo Aubrey was their only son, and had consequently received every
indulgence from his parents; and he now thought, by exerting his
influence over them, he should obtain their assistance in persuading
Fostina to accept his offer. But when he found that all their efforts
were in vain, he devised every means in his power to destroy the
happiness of his cousin.
He vainly endeavored to draw her mind from Lewis, and convince her of
the improbability of his returning.
Fostina's grief, on hearing this from her cousin, was beyond
description; she passed the most of her time in retirement, seldom
joining the family circle, and avoiding all conversation with them, as
much as her circumstances would admit; and when her situation rendered
it necessary for her to be in their society, she met them with calm
indifference and submitted with quiet resignation to her fate, hoping
soon to receive intelligence from her absent friends.